‘Morning Joe’ Explains MS NOW’s Lawsuit Against White House After ‘All-Out Assault’ on Free Press

On Monday, the hosts of "Morning Joe" reacted to a lawsuit filed by MS NOW, CNN, and Politico against the Trump administration over the ban on their presence at the White House. Donald Trump announced on Friday that he was banning CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House "effective immediately," accusing the three organizations of reporting "fake news" about him and his administration.

The news outlets filed a joint lawsuit on Monday, stating that the government does not decide what the press reports or publishes. They claimed that the White House is retaliating for lawful news-gathering based on viewpoint discrimination and are asking a federal judge to restore their access and credentials. Co-host Jonathan Lemire explained that while the press ban will not stop journalists from doing their job, it is part of President Trump's "all-out assault against the press" and may ultimately hurt him in the long run.

He pointed out that the president's ability to communicate his views and policy decisions is hindered by this action, which also seems to stem from desperation as his poll numbers are low, policies are unpopular, and midterm elections are approaching. Lemire concluded that by attacking the press, Trump is trying to protect himself from the negative information that is being printed about him by his aides, rather than addressing his policies directly.